Golfers set to converge on ‘Paradise Coast’ for classic tournament

Whangamatā golfer Shaun Fay is behind the Paradise Coast Golf Classic.

Hundreds of golfers will converge on the Coromandel for an annual three-day tournament spread across Whangamatā, Pauanui and Tairua.

It will be the second year for the Paradise Coast Golf Classic, the brainchild of Whangamatā resident and keen golfer Shaun Fay, who created it in 2023 with the vision of bringing the communities together for a weekend of sport and leisure.

Fay said hundreds turned out for the 2023 event, while 80 had already registered interest in the November event.

Fay said he had been involved in similar events during his time in Australia and presented the concept to Enterprise Whangamatā in early 2023.

“I presented the idea, they saw the potential and funded it, we got support from a number of other organisations and the golf clubs.”

Multiple groups were on board in 2024 including the Whangamatā Golf Club, Lakes Resort Golf Course in Pauanui, Tairua Golf and Country Club, Thames-Coromandel District Council, Destination Hauraki Coromandel and Bayleys.

“It’s probably the first tournament on the Coromandel that has managed to combine three courses, they are all on the Paradise Coast, in the southeastern ward.

“We wanted to rebrand southeastern ward and thought Paradise Coast was a fantastic name for a tournament, it was the best possible name you could have.

“The joy of this tournament is the three communities are all within half an hour of each other; I don’t see anything else that brings the three communities together like this tournament, there is nothing else that does that.”

Fay said he was keen to see the event expand to include the likes of tennis and croquet, among other codes.

The tournament is scheduled to get under way on Friday, November 29, when golfers will be spread evenly across the Pauanui and Tairua courses.

The tournament is limited to 140 players, so there will be 70 on each course.

The following day, November 30, the players swap courses, those who played on Pauanui the previous day head to Tairua, while those who played in Tairua head to Pauanui.

Finals day on December 1 is in Whangamatā.

The competition is set up as gross, net and stableford - twos, with a maximum handicap of 27 for men and 40 for women.

“The joy of the tournament is the variety, the resort course, the bushy, tight Tairua course, and then you have one of New Zealand’s finest country courses in Whangamatā.

“People made connections at the first event, the neat thing is that the communities connect, the joy of golf connects those communities,” Fay said.

Anyone keen to find out more can go to www.paradisecoastgolfclassic.co.nz